Kelly Clarkson Was 'Just Stunning' As She Sang "I Will Always Love You"

Jul 09, 2022

Kelly Clarkson became a household name in 2002 following her win on the hit competition series "American Idol." Since then, the singer has gone on to sell millions of copies of her albums and toured across the world. Some of her most notable hits include "Since U Been Gone," "My Life Would Suck Without You," and "Because Of You." With an incredible vocal tone and range, Clarkson has easily become one of the world's best and most recognizable singers.

Along with being a highly accomplished singer, Clarkson has also appeared in various films and TV shows and has become one of the most beloved women in the entertainment industry due to her hilarious personality and charming wit. She has gone on to become a judge for another singing competition series called "The Voice," and is even the host of her own talk show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

When Clarkson first entered the music industry, she had a very girl-next-door look with a bit of an edge. Like most superstars, her look and style changed as the years progressed, and Clarkson discovered more sides of herself. She even switched up the genre of music she released during the span of her career. Aside from being an internationally famous singer, she has also become a show host! Clarkson has her own show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show," and has been a host and judge on "The Voice." 

In 2022, starring in the American Country Music Awards, Clarkson swept the audience and the world away with her performance of "I will Always Love You." 

It's a song that's been performed, covered and remixed countless times by talented musicians, from the original Dolly Parton to Whitney Houston's well-known rendition. According to Country Music Nation, Parton originally released the song back in 1974 as a tribute to her longtime business partner, Porter Wagoner, paving the way for the emotional track to become one of America's most popular songs. And like most signature hits, other talented musicians could not keep their hands off of it. In the '90s, Houston starred in the 1992 film "The Bodyguard" while also releasing her own rendition of the popular track for the movie's soundtrack. The late R&B artist's unbelievable range and vocal strength lent itself perfectly to the ballad — and since then, the track has become a sort of rite of passage for singing contestants across the world. If you can sing "I Will Always Love You" as well as Parton or Houston, then that's proof of some real talent. 

During the 57th Annual American Country Music Awards, Clarkson took the stage to pay tribute to Dolly Parton by playing her iconic and legendary "I Will Always Love You." The song that is known as a beautiful melody can be extremely hard for singers to nail accurately, yet Clarkson had the performance of a lifetime. 

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Clarkson said that she couldn't wait to hear Parton's reaction to her performance. 

"I'm sure Dolly and I will have a lot to talk about when she's a guest on the show in a few weeks," the superstar said. "I love her so much. We actually got to recut her song' 9 to 5′. It's a blessing to get to sing with such a pioneer of a woman," she finished. 

The performance didn't just sweep the audience away but also the internet. Clarkson herself posted the magnificent performance to Youtube for even more people to love. The video has nearly three million views and counting. The video also has over 70,000 likes and many comments. 

A Youtube user wrote that Clarkson sang her version while also paying tribute to other singers' versions. "She kept the sweetness of Dolly's version, while including the power of Whitney's version, and all while making this performance distinctly Kelly. Just stunning," one person wrote. 

Another wrote, "Kelly is the epitome of a Master. You're not going to top Whitney's version, so don't even try. Do what you do and make it YOUR OWN. Kelly is such an insane talent and truly under appreciated." 

Internet users said that voice is unlike any other. "Her vibrato is so freaking good. Her voice is so freaking good. Her pitch is so freaking good. I can't believe how incredible this is. KELLY IS SUCH AN AMAZING SINGER," a Youtube user commented. 

People think that she went above and beyond. "A beautiful and unique rendition! Most singers who attempt this song try to vocally emulate Whitney, which is impossible, so the result is anticlimactic," someone said. They went on to write, "Here, Kelly made a very popular song her own and it was refreshing and remarkable. She should be proud." 

Internet users all over the world had nothing but kind and wonderful things to say about the performance that paid tribute to Dolly Parton. 

What do you think about Kelly's performance of "I Will Always Love You" during the American Country Music Awards? If you love this rendition— make sure to send it on to others who love this song too!